PROJECT REPORT.

Objective of our Research Project.

Our purpose of this research is to analyze the nature and operations of an e-Commerce transaction broker website.

Electronic Commerce, or e-Commerce in short, consists of the buying and selling of products and services over electronic systems, including the Internet and other computer networks.

There are three main categories of e-Commerce:

1. B2B - Business-to-business
2. B2C - Business-to-consumer
3. C2C - Consumer-to-consumer

E-Commerce is mainly considered to be the sales aspect of e-business because it also constitutes online marketing, online sales, customer service and e-payment.

A transaction broker is not a representative or an agent for either the buyer or the seller and acts as a middle-man and earning a commission for every successful transaction.

For all that, we would like to add in another definition for an online marketplace or E-marketplace. E- marketplace is an internet-based environment that brings together business-to-business buyers and sellers so that they can trade more efficiently online.

There are three definite types of e-marketplace:

1. Independent - in which public environments seek simply to attract buyers and sellers to trade together
2. Consortium-based - in which sites are established on an industry-wide basis, typically when a number of key buyers in a particular industry get together
3. Private - in which e-marketplaces are established by a particular organization to manage its purchasing alone

RESEARCH REPORT: JOBSDB.COM.

JobsDB.com is a C2C, dealing in transaction brokering eCommerce. It provides online recruitment services around Asia Pacific. It makes human resource management possible through their website.

JobsDB acts as a transaction broker, which is the middle-man, of the employers and job seekers. The nature of the online business provided by JobsDB is to bring employers and job seekers together through their services. Another transaction broker which carry out the same online service as JobsDB.com is jobstreets.com.

With the help of the Internet and the World Wide Web, JobsDB satisfy both the employers and job seekers to interact directly for fast, efficient and cost effective recruitment. These are the reasons and advantages that attracts the employers and job seekers.

JobsDB matches the needs for employers and job seekers. Through their website, employers are allowed to post up any positions available in the company for the jobs seekers. Job seekers are allowed to choose according to their choice of work from different sectors in the industries. Job seekers can utilize JobsDB's services either as a registered member or as a visitor and explore constantly updated employment opportunities at home or across the region.

For employers, JobsDB offers an extremely convenient, efficient and cost effective platform for business recruitment through a Recruitment Management System and access to a continuously expanding job seeker database.

JobsDB is at the leading-edge in technology. Recognizing the growing trend of companies recruiting through its own corporate web sites, JobsDB has developed a solution that is highly flexible and customizable which enables companies to build its own system based on individual requirements to automate and streamline the entire hiring process online.

JobsDB maintains the level of trust for all its customers. All information or personal data submitted by the Job seekers are strictly confidential and will not be release to anyone without prior consent.JobsDB is registered under TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal Program. TRUSTe is an independent organization whose mission is to build user's trust and confidence in the Internet by promoting the use of fair information practices. This privacy statement covers the Web Site www.jobsdb.com.

JobsDB wants to demonstrate its commitment to their customers’ privacy, it has agreed to disclose its information practices and have its privacy practices reviewed for compliance by TRUSTe.

From the check through www.complaintsboard.com, JobsDB has no record of any complaints till date. Indeed, it is truly a well recognized and reliable online transaction broker and website that provides good services.

RESEARCH REPORT: ALIBABA.COM.

Another objective of our research project is to learn about e-business models. So other than the transaction broker model which you've seen earlier, we would like to introduce to you another e-business model that we came across online; the E-Marketplace. The website we chose to illustrate the model is Alibaba.com.
Alibaba.com Limited is the global leader in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce. Alibaba Group makes it easy for anyone to buy or sell online anywhere in the world. They are a family of Internet-based businesses that encompasses business-to-business trade, retail, payment, business management software and classified listings.

Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions of buyers and suppliers around the world to do business online through three marketplaces:

1. A global trade marketplace (www.alibaba.com) for importers and exporters
2. A Chinese marketplace (www.alibaba.com.cn) for domestic trade in China
3. A Japanese marketplace (www.alibaba.co.jp) facilitating trade to and from Japan

The key benefits for users of Alibaba.com are reduced purchasing costs, greater flexibility, saved time, better information, and better collaboration.

However, there are also drawbacks for users of an e-marketplace and they are cost of applications, transaction/subscription fees, trust and safety with online payment, etc.

Alibaba Group has got that covered from the start. Alibaba.com is a community built on trust. Right from the beginning, they recognized that trust and safety are fundamental components of e-commerce, as they are for all areas of business.

They are committed in helping to make your trading experience safe, honest and fair. They also foster an environment of trust and safety by providing as much information as possible about potential buyers and sellers, providing safe trading resources, developing and enforcing rules and policies and protecting intellectual property rights.
To enhance security of the buyers and credibility of their suppliers, they promote the Gold Supplier icon. Gold Supplier is the highest and most premium level of membership for suppliers on Alibaba.com. In order to qualify for a Gold Supplier Membership, a supplier must meet a set of mandatory requirements, including passing an authentication and verification procedure by a third-party security service provider.Alibaba.com also advertises trade shows on their website. They also have AliExpress, where you can buy online at factory prices and they have almost everything, ranging from electronics to lifestyle clothings to personal care products to time pieces and jewelry. Bringing shopping and payment to your doorstep!We have testimonials from Alibaba's buyers and suppliers from around the world to further complement Alibaba.com as an e-marketplace:

From their buyers:

1. "Through Alibaba.com, we meet reliable sellers with innovative ideas who help us provide exceptional value to our customers." - Paul Greenberg, DealsDirect.com.au (Australia)
2. "The chances of us meeting our supplier Sunway without Alibaba.com would have been like winning the lottery!" - Phil Weil, Global Product Resources (USA)
3. "Alibaba.com allows me to find more products, more suppliers so I have more to offer to my customers." - Kenneth Koegler, Intrasolutions & Consulting (Hong Kong)

From their suppliers:

1. "With Alibaba.com, I don't have to worry about expensive marketing strategies. It's the perfect tool to serve all my marketing needs." - Sanjay Ranawat CEO, Krish Exports (India)
2. "Today we believe that business is strongly linked to the Internet and Alibaba.com is a very useful tool." - Charles D'Haussy, EverFast Rechargeables (Hong Kong)
3. "Alibaba has proved itself the most efficient and valuable tool and a major help in our everyday business activities." - Panos Dimitriadis, GPS Trading (Greece)

INTRODUCING TO YOU!

Our Group Members

Group Leader: Shendia Ng

Assistant Leader: Toh Wei Ying